Accountant III - Sheriff's Department

Department: Sheriff's Department

Job Type: Classified
Job Classification: 5245 - Accountant III
Salary Grade: 15

Pay

Hiring Range: $72,009 - $86,403 Annually
Pay Range: $72,009 - $100,817 Annually

Hiring Range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.

About the Role

Performs professional financial accounting work within a financial division of an Elected Official’s office, requiring theoretical knowledge and understanding of the principles, practices, and methods of professional accounting. The Accountant III classification differs from Accountant II due to the level of complexity of assigned projects.

Responsibilities

• Participates in the preparation of interim and annual financial statements and other financial reports.
• Prepares year-end working trial balances and other supporting accounting schedules and documents.
• Provides technical assistance as needed to the Auditor General staff.
• Collects, analyzes, and balances financial and statistical data for all funds.
• Reviews and analyzes accounting transactions, validates account coding, and maintains accounting records.
• Reviews, analyzes, balances, and reconciles accounting activities.
• Prepares accounting operating procedures and detailed flow charts.
• Provides operational advice and training on the use of automated financial systems to departmental users.
• Monitors the recording of financial information in the general ledger system to ensure data conforms to generally accepted accounting principles and established procedures.
• Implements changes to legislation enacted by local, state, or federal government, e.g., IRS codes, wage and hour laws, state sales taxes, etc.
• Prepares data for monthly, quarterly, or annual reports, e.g., 941, sales tax, W-2’s, 1099’s, etc.
• Prepares audit work sheets, schedules, reports, statistical data, and all supporting documentation to be used in compiling annual financial reports.
• Reviews, analyzes, and generates reports from the automated financial systems.
• Provides centralized billing and collection services.
• Evaluates the impact of requested or mandated changes to automated financial systems, researching the feasibility of requests and making recommendations for improvements.
• Develops detailed specifications regarding changes to accounting transactions needed for automated interfaces.
• Monitors transactions related to cash, property tax, LGIP statement, interest accumulation, etc.
• Provides cash management for federal grant programs.
• Provides technical assistance and education related to IRS regulations, wage and hour laws, GAAP, etc., to other department personnel.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting, finance, economics, public or business administration, or a closely related field as defined by the department head at the time of recruitment.
• Two years of professional experience in accounting, budgeting, auditing, accounting analysis, or financial management research.
• OR two years with Pima County in an Accountant II, Financial Analyst II, or closely-related position as determined by the department head at the time of recruitment.
• A CPA designation may substitute for one year of required experience.

Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application. Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with/knowledge of working in a government agency or public entity.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in processing payroll, accounts payable, or similar financial transactions.
• Experience with/knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, and other data analysis.
• Minimum one (1) year of experience in grant compliance and/or grant contracts.

Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.

Licenses and Certifications

• Valid driver license is required at time of application.
• Valid AZ driver license is required at time of appointment.

The successful applicant will be subject to a 39-month DOT Motor Vehicle Record review to determine applicant’s suitability to operate county vehicles in accordance with Pima County administrative procedures. Failure to obtain and maintain the required licenses and certifications shall be grounds for termination.

Special Notice Items

• The County requires pre-employment background checks. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening to include verification of work history, education, and criminal conviction history. A prior criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment with the County.
• Some positions may require satisfactory completion of a personal background investigation by the court or law enforcement agencies, due to the need for access to County Attorney and Court facilities, records, and communication systems.

Physical/Sensory Requirements

• Physical and sensory abilities will be determined by position.
• Action Activity: none
• Motion Activity: simple grasping and fine movement
• Hearing Activity: none
• Speaking Activity: in person and on the phone
• Vision: operate a motor vehicle, distinguish colors, have depth perception, and have peripheral vision.